1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle wheel with an emergency running support body for a pneumatic tire affixed to a wheel rim, which tire has essentially one tread, two side walls, one casing, reinforcement elements, as well as two tire beads provided with bead cores, in which the emergency running support body is formed as a shell-shaped ring body within the tire which has an emergency running surface that supports the tire in the case of damage and supports itself on the wheel rim with its two axial outer wall sections via ring-shaped supporting elements.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A wheel provided with an emergency running support body is disclosed in DE-OS 35 07 046, in which the emergency running body shown there is composed of an exterior metallic reinforcing ring and a cushioning ring arranged between the reinforcing ring and the rim. With this type of wheel, it is necessary for the emergency running support body and the wheel to be applied to the rim in an extensive assembly process in which particularly the emergency running body and the reinforcing ring must be carefully fixed in the well base. It is unfavorable that assembly that can be performed in a reasonable amount of time without great effort is not possible with this system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,308 shows a tire with emergency running capabilities in which the tire beads extend toward the inside of the tire and are formed as emergency running bodies against which the underside of the tire tread can position itself. However, due to the relatively narrow bearing surface that is available during emergency running for bearing the tread, such a formation of an emergency running body causes heavy strain and premature wear to the rubber parts that are rubbing or sliding against one another. In addition, the tire beads formed as the emergency running support body can also displace into the well base and thus promote peeling of the tire.
The disadvantage of this type of peeling in emergency running is reduced somewhat by a solution as disclosed, for instance, in DE-AS 10 22 483, in which projections are arranged beneath the tread on the surface facing the hollow space of the tire, which produce a connection, which is effective with transverse force, between the tread and the emergency running rings formed on the tire beads. Fabricating this type of tire equipped with projections is relatively expensive and, in addition, the fabrication of tires with emergency running support bodies must be purposefully adapted and planned as a deviation from the normal production process.
Thus, the invention provides for a vehicle wheel for tires with an emergency running support body that can be mounted easily and without special effort on standard well-base rims, which maintains safe vehicle handling and adequate elastic rolling characteristics during emergency running, which can transmit cornering forces without an excessive increase in weight and safely counteracts peeling of the tire, and which flexibly permits combining (even subsequently) with pre-existing types of tires and ready-made tires so that separate fabrication and logistics do not necessarily have to be reserved.
In this connection, at least one of the minimum of three parts that form the emergency running body and are composed of the shell-shaped ring body and at least two ring-shaped support elements, is formed as a separate component that completes the emergency running support body once the tire has been mounted on the rim.
The design of the parts that form the emergency running support body in such a way that enables completion initially during assembly also permits, along with a previously unachieved variable design of the emergency running support body, any degree of prefabrication or partial fabrication of an emergency running support body adaptable to every rim and tire shape, which allows the current geometric circumstances to be taken into consideration in an optimal manner.
In this process, at least one of the axial outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body is advantageously detachably connected to the associated first ring-shaped supporting element and at least the second ring-shaped supporting element associated with the other of the axial outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body is formed to be elastically deformable and/or swivelable in the axial direction.
The detachable connection permits extraordinarily simple mounting of the tire on the rim, in which the shell-shaped ring body, optionally in connection with additional parts, is first placed loosely within the tire cavity and then a tire bead and optionally a first support element as a part of the emergency running support body is mounted in the normal manner via the well base on the one bead seat. Then, the detachable connection between the shell-shaped ring body situated in the tire cavity and the first supporting element can be closed after the appropriate positioning of the ring body.
As a result of the design of the second ring-shaped supporting element as elastically deformable and/or swivelable in the axial direction, during assembly to mount the second tire bead, the second supporting body is elastically molded toward the center of the tire so that the second tire bead can slide into the well base. Subsequently, the tire bead is raised on the bead seat, whereupon the second supporting element elastically follows the tire bead and springs back into the original position next to and adjacent to it so that radial strains can be absorbed.
The elasticity of the second supporting element is designed in this case in such a way that adequate restoring force is present to overcome the rim hump, which fixes both the supporting element and the tire bead that is adjacent above in their positions on the interior side.
In the same way, if a tire change of the shell-shaped ring body already located in the tire cavity becomes necessary, for instance, due to corresponding tread performance, the connection with the associated supporting element can be detached, while the other elements, but at least the shell-shaped ring body, can be used again with a tire that can be newly mounted.
The supports of at least the first supporting element on the rim and/or the associated detachable connection are formed advantageously as a snap-in or snap-on connection.
This further facilitates assembly and, at the same time, allows simple and precise positioning of the ring body with a corresponding elastic design of the snap-in or snap-on mechanisms. When replacing the tire, this type of snap-in or snap-on connection is just as easy to detach and to precisely position another time.
In another advantageous further development, the detachable connection between the one axial outer wall section of the shell-shaped ring body and the associated first ring-shaped supporting element as well as its support on the rim is formed as a fixed bearing for the ring body that acts in the axial and radial direction after wheel assembly.
In this connection, the supporting element that is formed as a fixed bearing has a ring collar for receiving the radial outer wall section of the shell-shaped ring body, which axially and radially fixes the shell-shaped ring body. This ring collar permits both a fixing of the ring body at the supporting element and a detachable connection to be realized equally simply and, in both cases, produces a secure bearing and mounting as well as establishes a highly stressable emergency running support body.
Due to such a embodiment, one also obtains a secure fixing of the shell-shaped ring body or the entire emergency running support body already during assembly, which clearly facilitates mounting of the second tire bead. On the other hand, however, it is also possible hereby, even before mounting the second tire bead during assembly, to control the correct seat and positioning of the shell-shaped ring body and thus guarantee an extraordinarily secure emergency running function without great assembly effort.
In accordance with such a construction, the other of the axial outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body is then firmly connected in a form locking or force-locking manner to the second ring-shaped supporting element, with the support of the second ring-shaped supporting element on the rim being formed as a movable bearing in the axial direction.
Particularly in coordination with a first connection that is formed as a snap-on or snap-in connection between the outer wall sections and a first supporting body, due to this design, provision can be made for a partial pre-assembly, namely of the shell-shaped ring body and the second supporting element, which further facilitates assembly and mounting the tire on the rim. In addition, the design as a movable bearing produces, in connection with the fixed bearing arranged on the other side, a desirable tolerance during assembly against fabrication and assembly inaccuracies with simultaneous, highly precise positioning of the shell-shaped ring body that is due to the fixed bearing.
This advantage is retained even with operation under unfavorable strains since, with such a design, neither dynamic strains nor the influences of temperature are able to detrimentally affect the correct seat of the shell-shaped ring body relative to the tire, which is defined by the one fixed bearing.
Another great advantage of the embodiment in accordance with the invention is yielded in cooperation with the previously named characteristics to the effect that the supporting element that extends inwardly into the tire cavity can be adapted in terms of its cross section to the necessities of assembly and to the operating performance during emergency running. As a rule, this leads to the supporting elements for the outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body being formed asymmetrically in such a way that the initially mounted first ring-shaped supporting element, for example, already has an axial stop for the ring body and a supporting or stopping face formed for holding during assembly.
The advantage of the embodiments mentioned continues to be that the vehicle wheel that is provided with such an emergency running support body in accordance with the invention is not dependent upon or adapted to a particular rim shape or rim design and can be attached to every rim, e.g., every passenger vehicle well-base rim, and can also be used for conventional tire types without emergency running protection systems or bodies.
Such an adaptation of the cross-section is also achieved by a different size with the same cross-section shape of the supporting element.
In addition, it is possible with the embodiment of the vehicle wheel in accordance with the invention to use conventional tire types only by completion and combination with other adapted components for making an emergency running property available.
Finally, due to the embodiment of the vehicle wheel in accordance with the invention, the establishment of the emergency running property or the emergency running support body can be carried out at an arbitrary time during or after tire manufacturing, while until now it always had to be already decided during production planning when and what quantities of tire types were to be produced with emergency running properties.
At least one of the supporting elements is advantageously formed as a rubber elastic component of the tire connected with the tire beads and essentially extends inwardly within the hollow space of the tire.
Depending upon the material selected for the supporting elements, its connection to the tire beads can now occur at different points in time, for example, via vulcanization directly during vulcanization of the finished tires or by cold vulcanization or adhesion in a special finishing operation or even directly by the tire supplier or at the operation that mounts the tires on the rim.
Another advantageous embodiment utilizes at least one of the supporting elements being fastened by foaming of an elastic liquid foam that can be hardened in a mold before the tire is mounted. Spraying the foam in a mold that can be positioned with respect to the tire beads results in a very good adaptation of the supporting elements to the surface of the tire beads and a very durable connection after the foam has hardened.
The second ring-shaped supporting element beneath the form-locking or force-locking firm connection with the outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body advantageously has a cut running over the circumference and extending transverse to the circumferential direction from the side of the tire to the center of the tire over a partial width of the supporting element.
In the cross section of the supporting element, this achieves the formation of a narrow zone that is flexible with respect to flexural strength, which permits particularly simple deformation or a joint-like folding of the supporting element and thus a further simplified assembly.
While the deflection of axial forces is thus substantially eased, the absorption of radial forces is not restricted so that, after springing back into the supporting position, the ring-shaped supporting element is completely ready for deployment. In a corresponding design, mounting the second tire bead on the bead seat after temporary positioning in the well base is just as easy to carry out here as would be the case without a supporting element and a ring body.
As already mentioned, the functional division into a movable bearing and a fixed bearing and the characteristics already mentioned result in the advantage that the cross section, particularly of the connection segment that is formed as a movable bearing, can be adapted at will and, in terms of its shape, to the best possible compromise between ease of assembly and excellent product properties in operation.
Advantageously, the minimum inside diameter of the tread section of the tire under load exceeds the maximum outside diameter of the shell-shaped ring body by at least 35 mm. To be understood as the inside diameter of the tread section under load is the diameter, which is computed from the xe2x80x9cstatic radius,xe2x80x9d which is reduced by the overall thickness of the tread and then doubled, with the static radius being the radius that is dropped as a perpendicular from the wheel axis to the outside of the tire contact area when the vehicle is standing still.
Along with the reduction in the supporting element mass as such, a more precise centering and connection of the moved masses to the rims also occurs, which results in a high tolerance for unbalanced influences in an operating state. The weight of the wheel is also just slightly increased. In addition, due to the arrangement of the shell-shaped ring body that likewise occurs close to the rim, excellent emergency running behavior is achieved as well as the possibility of being able to provide this type of emergency running system for almost all height-to-width ratios.
The shell-shaped ring body is advantageously formed as a non-closed slot ring. This results in another possibility of reducing the supporting elements as well as the arrangement in the rim vicinity of all the emergency running components. Due to the slot-shaped design, the shell-shaped ring body or its outer wall sections can be produced in diameters, which do not or only insignificantly exceed the diameter of the rim flange or the rim. Due to such a formation, the possibility namely exists during assembly of introducing the slotted ring into the tire cavity due to its helical rebounding after a tire bead has already been fixed on the bead seat. After introduction, the shell-shaped ring body then again assumes its original shape with a smaller diameter.
An advantageous further development of this design is that at least one spreader element that functions during assembly and increases the diameter of the ring body is arranged in the slot area of the ring body, which spreader element creates a slightly increased assembly diameter so that insertion into the tire cavity can be performed unproblematically. If the ring body is now lying in the tire cavity, the slot can be closed by catching with a spring, for example, by pressing a spreader spring towards the inside of the ring body, whereby the ring body is returned to its reduced operating diameter. When changing a tire, the spreader spring can be snapped back into its holding position by spreading the tire body with a tool, after which the ring body can be removed and optinally used inside a new tire.
Particularly with the application in connection with a slotted ring, another advantageous embodiment results from at least one of the axial outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body having a clamping profile on its end section, with the associated supporting element being formed as a complement thereto and having a negative shape corresponding to the clamping shape.
The supporting element can then easily be pushed in the circumferential direction onto an axial outer wall section of the spread ring body, thus establishing a secure and, depending on the elasticity of the supporting element, almost non-detachable connection.
On the other hand, another possibility for forming a snap-in or snap-on connection is yielded with this type of design in the case of correspondingly great elasticity of the supporting element and with an adaptation of the clamping profile.
In another advantageous formation, one or more spring-elastic elements that are distributed over the circumference of the rim and that axially spread the supporting elements are arranged between the ring-shaped supporting elements. Particularly in the case of the embodiment of the shell-shaped ring body as a slotted ring with a clamping profile and supporting elements that are formed to be complementary, prestress of the supporting elements that is somewhat reduced in the axial direction and the lack of a bearing on the tire beads can be compensated for thereby.
Furthermore, a vehicle wheel is disclosed with an emergency running support body for a tire affixed to a wheel rim, which has essentially one tread, two side walls, one casing, reinforcement elements, as well as two tire beads provided with bead cores, in which the emergency running support body is formed as a shell-shaped ring body within the tire, which has an emergency running surface that supports the tire in the case of damage and supports itself on the wheel rim with its two axial outer wall sections via ring-shaped supporting elements, in which the shell-shaped ring body has rubber elastic linings on its emergency running surface. Such a formation increases the driving comfort present during emergency running to a distinct degree.
The cross-section of the ring-shaped supporting elements can naturally also be designed variably over the circumference, for example, for reasons of weight reduction. Conceivable in this case are shapes in which the support on the rim occurs only in sections at intervals of 60xc2x0 at a time over the circumference so that a bearing of the supporting elements on the bead seat occurs only via the xe2x80x9csupporting feetxe2x80x9d and the intermediate section is bridged by reduced cross-sections. It is also possible to reduce only the width of the supporting elements over the circumference.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle wheel having an emergency running support body for a pneumatic tire affixed to a wheel rim, which has essentially one tread, two side walls, one casing, reinforcement elements, as well as two tire beads provided with bead cores, in which the emergency running support body is formed as a shell-shaped ring body within the tire, which has an emergency running surface that supports the tire in the case of damage and supports itself on the wheel rim with its two axial outer wall sections via ring-shaped supporting elements, characterized in that at least one of the minimum of three parts forming the emergency running body and comprising the shell-shaped ring body and two ring-shaped support elements is formed as a separate component that completes the emergency running support body once the tire has been mounted on the rim.
At least one of the axial outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body may be detachably connected with the associated first ring-shaped supporting element and at least the second ring-shaped supporting element associated with the other of the axial outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body is formed to be elastically deformable and/or swivelable in the axial direction.
The support of at least the first supporting element on the rim and/or the associated detachable connection may be formed as a snap-in or snap-on connection.
At least one of the supporting elements may be formed as a rubber elastic component of the tire connected with the tire beads and essentially extends inwardly within the hollow space of the tire.
At least one of the supporting elements may comprise elastic thermosetting liquid foam and is connected by foaming with a tire bead before mounting the fully vulcanized and ready-made tire on the wheel rim.
The detachable connection between the one axial outer wall section of the shell-shaped ring body and the associated first ring-shaped supporting element as well as its support on the rim may be formed as a fixed bearing for the ring body that acts in the axial and radial direction after wheel assembly.
The second ring-shaped supporting element beneath the form-locking or force-locking firm connection with the outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body has a cut running over the circumference and extending transverse to the circumferential direction from the side of the tire to the center of the tire over a partial width of the supporting element.
The minimum inside diameter of the tread of the tire under load may exceed the maximum outside diameter of the shell-shaped ring body by at least 35 mm.
The shell-shaped ring body may be formed as a non-closed slot ring.
At least one of the axial outer wall sections of the shell-shaped ring body may have a clamping profile on its end section, with the associated supporting element being formed as a complement thereto and having a negative shape corresponding to the clamping profile.
At least one spreader element that functions during assembly and increases the diameter of the ring body may be arranged in the slot area of the ring body.
One or more spring-elastic elements that are distributed over the circumference of the rim and that axially spread the supporting elements may be arranged between the ring-shaped supporting elements.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle wheel with an emergency running support body for a tire affixed to a wheel rim, which has essentially one tread, two side walls, one casing, reinforcement elements, as well as two tire beads provided with bead cores, in which the emergency running support body is formed as a shell-shaped ring body within the tire, which has an emergency running surface that supports the tire in the case of damage and supports itself on the wheel rim with its two axial outer wall sections via ring-shaped supporting elements, characterized in that the shell-shaped ring body has rubber elastic linings on its emergency tread.
The invention also provides for a vehicle wheel including a wheel rim, a pneumatic tire comprising a tread and first and second side walls, wherein each of the first and second side walls comprise a bead having a bead core. An emergency running support body includes an emergency running surface and first and second axial outer wall sections. The emergency running support body further includes a shell-shaped ring body adapted to be disposed within the tire and to support the tire in case of damage. A first ring-shaped supporting element and a second ring-shaped supporting element are provided. The first axial outer wall section is supported on the wheel rim via the first ring-shaped supporting element and the second axial outer wall section is supported on the wheel rim via the second ring-shaped supporting element. The shell-shaped ring body is one of removably connected and removably attached to one of the first ring-shaped support element and the second ring-shaped support element, and one of the first ring-shaped supporting element and the second ring-shaped supporting elements is one of elastically deformable and swivelable in an axial direction.
The tire may include a casing and reinforcement elements. The wheel rim may include a first bead seat and a second bead seat. The first axial outer wall section may be supported on the wheel rim in the area of the first bead seat via the first ring-shaped supporting element and the second axial outer wall section is supported on the wheel rim in the area of the second bead seat via the second ring-shaped supporting element. One of the first and second ring-shaped support elements may include a rubber elastic material. The shell-shaped ring body may be removably connected to the first ring-shaped support element via one of a snap-in connection and a snap-on connection and wherein the second ring-shaped supporting element is one of elastically deformable and swivelable in an axial direction. One of the first and second ring-shaped support elements may include a rubber elastic material. One of the first and second ring-shaped support elements may include an elastic thermosetting liquid foam. One of the first and second ring-shaped support elements may be adapted to be connected by foaming to the inside of the tire in the area of the tire bead.
The shell-shaped ring body may be removably connected to the first ring-shaped support element, the first ring-shaped supporting element providing each of radial support and axial support to the shell-shaped ring body. The shell-shaped ring body may be connected to the second ring-shaped support element, the second ring-shaped supporting element comprising a circumferential cut which is axially oriented and extends a partial width into the supporting element. In a compressed state, the tread of the tire may include a minimum inside diameter, the minimum inside diameter exceeding a maximum outside diameter of the shell-shaped ring body by at least 35 mm. The shell-shaped ring body may include a non-closed slot ring.
One of the first axial outer wall section and the second axial outer wall section may include an end area having an external clamping profile and wherein one of the first and second ring-shaped supporting elements comprises a corresponding internal clamping profile, whereby the external clamping profile projects into and engages the internal clamping profile. Each of the external and internal clamping profiles may include an L-shape.
The vehicle wheel may further include a spreader element disposed between the shell-shaped ring body and the wheel rim, wherein the spreader element functions to separate the shell-shaped ring body from the wheel rim. The vehicle wheel may further include at least one spring-elastic element located on the circumference of the wheel rim, wherein the spring-elastic element axially biases one of the first and second ring-shaped supporting elements towards the tire bead.
The emergency running surface may include an emergency tread having rubber elastic linings. The emergency running surface may include a first and second circular projection and a center circular indentation.
The invention also provides for a vehicle wheel including a wheel rim comprising a first bead seat and a second bead seat. A pneumatic tire includes a tread and first and second side walls. Each of the first and second side walls includes corresponding first and second beads, each bead having a bead core. The first and second beads engage the corresponding first and second bead seats. An emergency running support body includes an emergency running surface and first and second axial outer wall sections. The emergency running surface includes a first and second circular projection and a center circular indentation. The emergency running support body may further include a shell-shaped ring body adapted to be disposed within the tire and to support the tire in case of damage, a removably connected first ring-shaped supporting element, and an axially flexible second ring-shaped supporting element which is attached to the shell-shaped ring body. The first axial outer wall section is supported axially and radially on the wheel rim in the area of the first bead seat via the first ring-shaped supporting element and the second axial outer wall section is supported on the wheel rim in the area of the second bead seat via the second ring-shaped supporting element. Each of the first and second ring-shaped support elements are adapted to support the shell-shaped ring body when they are disposed in the area of the corresponding bead seats. The emergency running support surface is adapted to support the tire from the inside of the wheel rim when the tire is damaged.